1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a computer based materials or supplies order system and method for either combining orders for materials or supplies from a plurality of separate systems each of which has their own material codes, distributing or dividing the orders to reduce risk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) systems have been developed for purchasing materials. They are useful for improving accuracy and reducing work in purchasing. They are also useful for managing delivery dates appropriately.
FIG. 10 illustrates a configuration of a material purchase system as a first example according to the related art.
In FIG. 10, an office A 20a and an office B 20b order materials from a company C 31, a company D 32, and a company E 33, with which office A has business relations. Data stored at offices A 20a and B 20b can include business data of the supply companies C, D and D, E, respectively, for example. Data 21a and 21b are sent to EDI 912 which is a centralized management system, and processed in the EDI 912. The EDI 912 includes an order unit 931 for the company C 31 and an order unit 932 for the company D 32 using telephone lines or the like and an order unit 933 for the company E 33 using the Internet. The order units 931 and 932 include an electronic mail box of the respective companies C and D and, additionally, office A 20a and order unit 932 may include stored business data of offices A and B. The order unit of company E can be represented by a web site and server on which the business data of office B 20b are stored. The EDI 912 also includes a classification processor 914 for classifying their order relationships.
An operation of the system at a time of ordering is explained based on this configuration.
The office A 20a has its own internal system (not illustrated) for managing productions, etc., which includes a customized material code system. The office B also has its own system which includes a customized material code system, which is different from the material code system in the office A. Since rationalization in production, sales, and distribution has been achieved in the respective offices, the code systems of the offices are not interchangeable.
Therefore, each office respectively orders from the companies C–E using its own code. The EDI 912, i.e., the centralized management system, orders and manages the orders through each order unit 931, 932, 933, if necessary. However, each office has generally selected a company with whom most of its orders are placed.
A material code used at a time of ordering is determined in a system of the office. However, in some cases, a goods name code of a supply company (company goods name code), provided by the supply company with which the order is placed and with which the office has business relations, has been written in addition to the material code of the office. This additional company good names code facilitates code conversion.
A second example according to the related art concerning code conversion is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Published Patent Application HEI 5-143624. HEI 5-143624 discloses a technique for converting a material code of an orderer presented at a time of ordering to a unique goods name code of a supply company. This technique can prevent careless mistakes and reduce time for procurement. However, the technique only provides code conversion. Further, this technique is necessary as the code presented at the time of ordering is the code of the orderer. Therefore, it is desired to use goods name codes predetermined by the orderer for the business transactions.
There is a system in which the code conversion is used to provide additional value in a technical field distinct from procurement system. Specifically, FIG. 11 illustrates a concept of code conversion in a code conversion system used by an intermediary dealer in apparel industries as a third example according to the related art. This is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Published Patent Application HEI 6-259442.
In FIG. 11, a product code 801 inputted by an apparel maker and a VAS (Value Added Service) unified code 802 incorporated in an intermediary VAS company are illustrated. Apart 811 is added as a common sign for indicating this product later. At the same time, a retailer uses a code in a form 803 in which its own unique code is added. The apparel maker can know an amount of sales and a tendency in the sales of all retailers by accessing the intermediary VAS company 802, for example. The retailer can immediately know the stock of the maker by accessing the intermediary VAS company 802, for example. In these examples, both the apparel maker and the retailer use the part 811 indicated by the VAS unified code as the common code to exchange and modify data. Further, it is used as a conversion tool for simplified searching from one side.